Copa Airlines expands its fleet and adds destinations in 2018

In 2018, the airline will expand and modernize its fleet with the arrival of its first five Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft which are equipped with more efficient engines that reduce fuel consumption by 15%

Fortaleza and Salvador, in Brazil, and Bridgetown, in Barbados, are destinations that Copa Airlines will add during the first half of the year, expanding its network to 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean

In 2017, Copa Airlines transported more than 13.5 million passengers, which is an increase of 7.1% compared to 12.6 million in 2016. In 2018, the airline plans to increase this number to 14.4 million passengers

Panama City, January 29th, 2018

Copa Airlines (NYSE: CPA), a subsidiary of Copa Holdings S.A. and member of the global Star Alliance airline network, today presented its results for 2017, which included the modernization of its fleet of 100 aircraft and the expansion of its network to 75 destinations in 31 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, with the addition of Mendoza, Argentina, and Denver, Colorado in the United States.

In 2018, the airline will add 6 new aircraft, five of which will be the new Boeing 737 MAX 9 airplanes. It will also add Fortaleza and Salvador, in Brazil, and Barbados, in the Caribbean, to its extensive network of destinations, strengthening the entire continent’s connectivity through the Hub of the Americas, in Panama City.

"With a larger, more modern and more efficient fleet, in 2018 we will consolidate and strengthen the growth we achieved in 2017. This is reflected in the inclusion of two very important cities in Brazil and one in Barbados, thus expanding our network of routes, which now, through our Hub of the Americas at the Tocumen International Airport, will connect 78 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean," said Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron. "These advances confirm our commitment and vocation to offer world class service to our customers and contribute to the commercial and tourist development of both Panama and all countries that we connect by air," he added.

Thanks to the airline’s 2017 operating results, FlightStats has recognized Copa Airlines as the most on-time airline in Latin America for the fifth consecutive year, and the British Official Airline Guide (OAG) has recognized it as the fourth most on-time airline in the world.

Starting in August, Copa Airlines will receive the first orders of its 71 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. These include the first of five of the new MAX 9 series that will come out in 2018. These modern aircraft have more efficient LEAP-1B engines, provide a 15% reduction in fuel consumption and are also 40% quieter, which will result in greater comfort and a better travel experience for our customers.

As a result of the growth of its operations in 2017, Copa Airlines anticipates that it will generate about 800 new employment opportunites in Panama. In order to continue the development of the labor force in Panama with the highest standards of quality, the airline will maintain its internal training program with the Academy of Aviation Technicians (ATA), the Latin American Academy of Higher Aviation (ALAS) and the investment in a new and modern simulator for the Boeing 737 MAX.

In 2017, Copa Airlines added Denver, Colorado in the US and Mendoza, Argentina, to its extensive network in the Americas. On July, 2018, the airline will begin service to the beautiful Caribbean island nation of Barbados, and on July 18 and 24 to Fortaleza and Salvador, in Brazil, respectively.

Barbados, located on the Caribbean coast and famous for its crystalline and pristine beaches, has also been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fortaleza, the fifth largest city in Brazil, stands out as an important commercial and financial center that has seen constant growth in the tourism sector. Salvador, the third largest city in Brazil and the most populous city in the Northeast of Brazil, is the second most important tourist destination in the country, as well as a port for exports and an important industrial and commercial center.

In 2017 Copa Airlines transported more than 13.5 million passengers, an increase of 7.1% compared to 12.6 million in 2016. In 2018, the Airline plans to increase this number to 14.4 million passengers, confirming its commitment to continue to contribute to the commercial and tourist development of both Panama and the countries where it operates throughout the Americas.